Mill Hill Cottage, Little SteepingThis late 17th- or early 18th-century cottage could hardly be more chocolate box if it came wrapped in foil, sitting in a little crimped paper case. Topped with thatch, over earth and timber walls, beamed ceilings and a range fireplace …

Mill Hill Cottage, Little SteepingIt sleeps four, with one double bedroom plus a twin accessed by separate ladder stairs. On the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, it's a great base for walking or cycling.• 0845 090 0194, vivat-trust.org. From £348 per week

The Hayloft, MartinWithin easy day-tripping distance of Lincoln and its cathedral, this cottage forms part of a sensitively converted 18th-century stable block, with a limecrete and recycled glass floor, wood pellet boiler and underfloor heating …

The Hayloft, MartinIt's great for couples, with a large bedroom, wood-burning stove and deep copper bath. And though it really sleeps two, if you fall out, or have children in tow, there's a box bed in the living room that will squeeze in two more.• 01526 378717, manorhousestables.co.uk. From £525 per week

twentysix, Anderby CreekGreat for birdwatching and home to the Anderby Creek Cloud Bar, the UK's first permanent cloud-watching outpost.
• 07814 829912, anderbycreek.eu. From £455 per week, sleeps five

The Old Rectory Near Burgh Le Marsh A large gilt-framed oil painting hangs over the fireplace, before a semi-circular audience of plushly upholstered armchairs and sofas, there's a huge, antique table in the dining room, and the main bathroom comes with both a walk-in shower and contemporary free-standing bath. Sleeping 11, it's just the place for a party.• 0844 800 2070, nationaltrustcottages.co.uk. From £786 per week

Crab Cottage, Chapel Saint LeonardsA large, homely kitchen makes a genial setting for breakfasts and dinners, there's a wood-burning stove in the sitting room, and a path leads almost straight from the veranda down to the sea. If you're there between late October and December, it's worth a trip to Donna Nook to spot breeding grey seals.
• 01244 356666, sykescottages.co.uk. From £354 per week